In keeping with government’s agenda on security at the community level, a workshop on the Regional System of Standardised Indicators in Peaceful Coexistence and Citizen Security was held on Tuesday to strengthen decision-makers’ capacity to make interventions to boost security.
The workshop is part of an overall project conducted by CISALVA, a Research Institute of Universidad del Valle in Cali, Columbia, a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release said. “Funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), CISALVA establishes a Sub Technical Unit (STU) in each country that has membership in the Regional System of Standardised Indicators in Peaceful Coexistence and Citizen Security programme,” GINA added. The STU comprises various representative stakeholder entities and works under the relevant ministry.
GINA noted that the CISALVA group is working with Guyana, Jamaica, Mexico and 15 other countries. After assessing their individual needs, CISALVA will decide on the regional system of standardised indicators in peaceful coexistence and citizen security. The participating countries have already agreed on standardised parameters for comparison, with indicators including suicide, traffic injuries and theft rate per every 100,000 inhabitants. Following this, the CISALVA team will train the STUs to capture and to conduct information processing and analysis, related to the indicators established.
According to GINA, the workshop agreed that establishing a regional system of standardised indicators will permit measurement and monitoring and, comparison of related regional phenomena. Standardised indicators will also strengthen the capacity of regional decision makers in formulating, implementing and evaluating interventions for citizen security.
Project Coordinator of the Citizen Security Programme Khemraj Rai said the course is being held at an opportune time as government is trying to build 10 safe neighbourhoods under the current Community Action Programme. Regarding traffic related deaths and injuries, Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee has been meeting with drivers in different communities to listen to their suggestions on how to improve road safety as well as to establish road safety steering committees comprising representatives from the groups. He recently met with East Coast drivers at the Lusignan Community Centre and established a road safety steering committee. Guyana’s representation at the meeting will ensure that when the region comes up with its indicators, it will include ones that are relevant locally.
